Previously, many types of devices have been in use endeavoring to provide an effective means of separating a single piece from a stack of articles in an enclosed container. Much of this art has been directed toward a variety of materials, such as facial tissues, note pads, sheets of paper and particularly moistened tissues for household use. The approach has been as varied as the product dispensed, however, adhesive coating, a mass of adhesive or an adhesive pad have been used to lift the top item from the stack in certain instances.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however, the following U.S. patents were considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Filing Date ______________________________________ 4,770,320 Miles et al Sep. 13, 1988 4,574,952 Masui Mar. 11, 1986 4,487,318 Roen Dec. 11, 1984 4,401,233 Frey Aug. 30, 1983 3,970,215 McLaren et al Jul. 20, 1976 2,864,495 Ritchie Dec. 16, 1958 ______________________________________
Miles et al are concerned with a pressure sensitive substrate on a sheet of material for marking, preferably cellulose acetate. A dispenser package is provided allowing the uppermost sheet to be pulled from the stack through a slot. The adjoining underlying sheet is folded and moved through the slot leaving the next sheet in a position such that it may be pulled through the slot.
Masui is concerned with a box of facial tissues that are interleafed to pull through a slot in the top. The first tissue in the stack is pulled through when the cover over the hole is torn off by the use of strings, tape, clips, magnets, staples, adhesive, or the like. Only the first or uppermost tissue is affected as the interleafing allows the balance of the stack to be sequentially dispensed.
Roen, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,318, employs a graspable flap on the outward facing surface of a stack of flat bags. A receptacle includes a tear out panel to gain access to the stack.
Frey, on the other hand, approaches the problem of dispensing a stack of items, such as hair curling end wrap sheets, using a receptacle with a lever resiliently mounted to one end. An opening is provided in the receptacle and the free end of the lever may be pushed down into engagement with the top sheet. The underside of the lever contains a pad of adhesive material allowing the top sheet to adhere to the adhesive and pull the sheet out of the receptacle when released, as the sheet is not porous, the adhesive may be reused.
McLaren et al is concerned with a package for containing and dispensing moistened tissues in a folded stack surrounded by a sealed film wrapper. The wrapper is in a cardboard carton so designed as to allow access to the wrapper. Adhesive tape seals the wrapper and the tissues are removed by hand. No specific dispensing of the top item is taught.
Ritchie employs a roll of paper product material housed in a dispenser which allow the end of the roll to be dispensed through an aperture in the top of the container. The roll has severable sheets allowing the product to be torn off using the opening as the severing means.
It will be noted that the prior art found, has no specific method of grasping the top item in a stack with anything other than adhesive in one form or the other. Using a fastener such as the hook half of VELCRO tape was not found in any such applications.